A GOOD MAN
Will Allen Dromgoole (1880-1934) was an American author and poet. She was born in Murfreesboro,
Tennessee. It is said that she wrote over 7,501 poems; 5,000 essays, and
published thirteen books. One of her poems “The Bridge Builder” has found place
in the inspirational section of the popular anthology known as “ Best Loved
Poems”.
The full text of the above-mentioned poem is given below with
the title “A Good Man”. Readers will hopefully consider it an appropriate title
according to the theme of the poem.
Good men wherever they are have many
admirable qualities. Two of them are endless industriousness and unselfishness.
Even when they become old, they continue to use their talents constructively
for the benefit of others including those who are young today but will one day become
old like them in future.
Here is the poem with the original
title “The Bridge Builder”.
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and grey,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen
tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight
dim—
That sullen stream had no fears for
him;
But he turned, when he reached the
other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim
near,
“You are wasting strength in building
here.
Your journey will end with the ending
day;
You never again must pass this way.
You have crossed the chasm, deep and
wide,
Why build you the bridge at the
eventide?”
The builder lifted his old grey head.
“Good friend, in the path I have
come,: he said,
“There followed after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this
way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a
pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight
dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge
for him.
********
G.R.Kanwal
13 July 2025
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